Under the circumstances with Tosh tied up with the Oregon playoff game until recently, I think he’s done a great job recruiting for the critical positions that Cal needs for the coming season. While I’d agree that some of the portal recruits are short on production stats, the size and potential of some of these lineman will hopefully be converted into better production stats by the new coaching staff that Tosh has also recruited.
With the portal available every year, retaining top talent and recruiting seasoned replacements for players who leave has become critical to maintaining a successful program. Yes, the money has ruined D1 Power 4 football and called into question the whole idea of the student athlete, but until there are changes it’s a cut throat game Cal needs to be able to play in if it hopes to achieve the greatness in its football program that we are all hoping for. So far, so good.
Yup. There is an interesting article today in the WSJ that says that parity has increased the value of all college football programs, with Texas (no surprise) being the first one to exceed $2b in valuation but I think Texas Tech(!) is number 2, illustrating the point re parity.
Point being that teams like Indiana can come out of nowhere, increasing fan interest that would otherwise have been absent in the former environment where all the talent went to the blue bloods.
Interesting pickup for the pass rush depth chart. The measurables here are legit (7-2+ wingspan, 45.5" vert), but the injury history and limited gameime reps make this a high-variance bet. I dunno if taking flyers on athletic upside over proven production is sustainable long-term, but if the medicals check out, this guy could be a sleeper for situational pass-rush packages.
We signed other EDGE guys so hopefully we will have enough depth to afford the risk. Incredible potential. We need some guys like this to maximize our portfolio, just not TOO many.
The First Amendment (which prohibits Congress from passing laws that restricts free speech) does not apply to Write for California (WFC). Commenting on WFC is a privilege, plain and simple. Name calling on WFC is something that the site administrators can, and should, prohibit for obvious reasons.
You're not going to hurt my feelings by calling me a hypocrite or anything else. Not sinking to your level. Not dealing with you anymore just hope the likes of you are banned so the rest of us can enjoy a civil board.
Seems like some of our transfers (particularly on D) don’t have a ton of reps. I get the upside but I was hoping Tosh would bring in more proven talent from Oregon. Part of what helped Cignetti turn IU around so quickly is, as he said, recruiting production over potential.
At this stage, even with Tosh’s prodigious abilities, Cal won’t get all 5 star athletes. There’s also the issue of money. There is a limit, and I’m sure they had to splash the cash to keep JKS and bring in the top receivers. They are likely having to fill the ranks with some more affordable players. Cignetti pulled a lot of talented athletes with him from JMU, and I would bet that it was at somewhat of a discount because they wanted to stay with him and because a JMU player will not draw as much interest as an Oregon player
Tf you so butthurt about lol. Tosh is now a HC and a big part of what made him an attractive hire is his recruiting ability. Is he supposed to be graded on a curve because he was formerly a DC? That’s a braindead take. He’s done a lot of good things in the portal, but that doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable to hope for more productive transfers on the defensive side.
I don't know when Cignetti was hired in the cycle but Tosh was hired late and still had a full time job with Oregon thru the playoffs. No excuses but I think a IU-type turnaround is a one-of-one scenario and I don't think any of us expected something like that (not saying that you are either...). I would grade our off-season to be as good as we could expect, considering what was left in the cupboard and where this program was with the prior regime. As a few others have said, 2027 should be a great indication of what Tosh can do with a 100% focus and force on HS recruiting. Overall, I am confident to say that we'll have a far better record in '26 with Tosh than we would have had with JW (hard to argue with this statement lol) and way more excitement, expectations, and momentum.
EDGE is a great position to have depth in. Hope he can stay healthy and realize his potential.
I don't know what kind of defense we will run. LB room still seems thin, but we're getting some good EDGE talent. I expect we'll be adding some inside LBs before long.
Under the circumstances with Tosh tied up with the Oregon playoff game until recently, I think he’s done a great job recruiting for the critical positions that Cal needs for the coming season. While I’d agree that some of the portal recruits are short on production stats, the size and potential of some of these lineman will hopefully be converted into better production stats by the new coaching staff that Tosh has also recruited.
With the portal available every year, retaining top talent and recruiting seasoned replacements for players who leave has become critical to maintaining a successful program. Yes, the money has ruined D1 Power 4 football and called into question the whole idea of the student athlete, but until there are changes it’s a cut throat game Cal needs to be able to play in if it hopes to achieve the greatness in its football program that we are all hoping for. So far, so good.
Yup. There is an interesting article today in the WSJ that says that parity has increased the value of all college football programs, with Texas (no surprise) being the first one to exceed $2b in valuation but I think Texas Tech(!) is number 2, illustrating the point re parity.
Point being that teams like Indiana can come out of nowhere, increasing fan interest that would otherwise have been absent in the former environment where all the talent went to the blue bloods.
Interesting pickup for the pass rush depth chart. The measurables here are legit (7-2+ wingspan, 45.5" vert), but the injury history and limited gameime reps make this a high-variance bet. I dunno if taking flyers on athletic upside over proven production is sustainable long-term, but if the medicals check out, this guy could be a sleeper for situational pass-rush packages.
We signed other EDGE guys so hopefully we will have enough depth to afford the risk. Incredible potential. We need some guys like this to maximize our portfolio, just not TOO many.
Oh hai, Jericho Johnson. New boss same as the old boss?
And CB Ricky Fletcher from Ole Miss. Two dudes from the playoff semifinals joining our defense sounds good to me!
The First Amendment (which prohibits Congress from passing laws that restricts free speech) does not apply to Write for California (WFC). Commenting on WFC is a privilege, plain and simple. Name calling on WFC is something that the site administrators can, and should, prohibit for obvious reasons.
I think grapefruitzionist is a stanfurd fan trying to start shit. Fuck him
How many years of eligibility does this young man have?
WFC Administrators, please block the people who are name calling, and delete their comments. They are ruining this site.
No, just people like you who are guilty of name calling.
You're not going to hurt my feelings by calling me a hypocrite or anything else. Not sinking to your level. Not dealing with you anymore just hope the likes of you are banned so the rest of us can enjoy a civil board.
Alright I’m going to ask. When these players commit, do they put on the Cal uniform for these photos? Or is it photoshopped amazingly well?
They put on uniforms and take photos. Theres like a studio setup with props.
Coaching hires are photoshopped.
I remember Clancy Pendergast had the exact same head tilt angle on all the headshot photos.
Never mind, players are photoshopped too. This one was obvious.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DTocedMD7Hm/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
HS recruits are more likely actual photos they took at official visits
Great detective work, thanks!
Seems like some of our transfers (particularly on D) don’t have a ton of reps. I get the upside but I was hoping Tosh would bring in more proven talent from Oregon. Part of what helped Cignetti turn IU around so quickly is, as he said, recruiting production over potential.
At this stage, even with Tosh’s prodigious abilities, Cal won’t get all 5 star athletes. There’s also the issue of money. There is a limit, and I’m sure they had to splash the cash to keep JKS and bring in the top receivers. They are likely having to fill the ranks with some more affordable players. Cignetti pulled a lot of talented athletes with him from JMU, and I would bet that it was at somewhat of a discount because they wanted to stay with him and because a JMU player will not draw as much interest as an Oregon player
Tf you so butthurt about lol. Tosh is now a HC and a big part of what made him an attractive hire is his recruiting ability. Is he supposed to be graded on a curve because he was formerly a DC? That’s a braindead take. He’s done a lot of good things in the portal, but that doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable to hope for more productive transfers on the defensive side.
I don't know when Cignetti was hired in the cycle but Tosh was hired late and still had a full time job with Oregon thru the playoffs. No excuses but I think a IU-type turnaround is a one-of-one scenario and I don't think any of us expected something like that (not saying that you are either...). I would grade our off-season to be as good as we could expect, considering what was left in the cupboard and where this program was with the prior regime. As a few others have said, 2027 should be a great indication of what Tosh can do with a 100% focus and force on HS recruiting. Overall, I am confident to say that we'll have a far better record in '26 with Tosh than we would have had with JW (hard to argue with this statement lol) and way more excitement, expectations, and momentum.
Your reply to a perfectly reasonable comment is weird AF.
Stop name calling. It adds nothing and is offensive to everyone here.
There's absolutely no need for that kind of comment on this board. You should be able to disagree and remain civil at the same time.
Not reading comments is easier said than done but I'm certainly going to avoid yours like the plague.
It’s not worth arguing with dipshits. Sorry I hurt your feelings. I’m sure it’s tough having no friends.
EDGE is a great position to have depth in. Hope he can stay healthy and realize his potential.
I don't know what kind of defense we will run. LB room still seems thin, but we're getting some good EDGE talent. I expect we'll be adding some inside LBs before long.